The Cavern Beatles: The Gaiety Theatre, Ayr September 2015

Last Tuesday, the 15th September just so happened to be my 17^th birthday and to celebrate my friend Heather and I attended a Beatles tribute at The Gaiety Theatre in Ayr. The Cavern Beatles I believe have been touring across Europe, England and now here in Scotland. Being such huge Beatles fan; I really couldn't miss a Beatles related event so near to where I live and even better, it fell upon my birthday! Perfect!

So we arrived for the doors opening and found our seats which were in the second row! The curtain was already up and there in front of us sat a familiar set up of guitars, drums and pianos/keyboards which replicated the setup used by The Beatles live on stage back in the 60s. Just as stated on the tickets, the lights dimmed into complete darkness at 7:30pm; the show was about to begin!

Now don't hold me on this but if I remember right they started with I Saw Her Standing There. As soon as the lights fell upon The Cavern Beatles standing right there on the stage in front of you; you just can't help but feel a rush of excitement. Everything from the outfits to the instruments and even the mannerisms were perfected to the finest of details. Both my lovely friend Heather and I were particularly impressed with how alike the gentleman playing John Lennon looked in comparison to the real thing! It was seriously unbelievable! At the end of each they song they even took one step back and bowed just as The Beatles had been expected to do by their manager Brian Epstein in the 60s.

During the first half of the show a set list of songs by The Beatles from the early days were performed including I Want To Hold Your Hand, Yesterday, Drive My Car, In My Life and Twist and Shout to name just a few! The banter was just as brilliant as the music and stayed in true spirit of the band's humour which is apparent when comparing video footage of The Beatles back in the 1960s.

After around an hour or so into the performance, The Cavern Beatles brought the first half of the show to an end. This of course was the perfect excuse for a good old tub of ice cream (thanks Heather!). There is such a good feeling about eating ice cream during the interval at the theatre. I don't know if it's just me but it reminds me of going to the theatre when I was little. We also got talking to an older lady who came to the show by herself. She was such a sweet lady and it was an absolute pleasure to chat with her!

 

In the second half of the show, The Cavern Beatles walked onto the Gaiety's stage dressed in outfits exactly like the ones that The Beatles wore on the cover of the Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band album! I don't know about you but I think there's something really cool about the Sgt Pepper's album. And of course there's the bizarre rumour that Paul McCartney died in a car crash and was replaced by a gentleman named Billy Shears. I personally don't believe it but the theories people have created regarding the album are unbelievable!

As you'll probably have guessed this was of course a cue for a selection of songs from the Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band album. This included the album's title song which just like the studio version leads directly into yet another classic With A Little Help from My Friends. And of course they couldn't forget the psychedelic classic Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds!

Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields which brought back good memories of my first ever visit to Liverpool earlier this year were also included in the set followed by the catchy and upbeat number Hello Goodbye. They also performed A Day in the Life which was quite something to hear live particularly when it comes the orchestral climax. At the end of A Day in the Life, all three members of the band who at the time, were on stage disappeared into the wings of the stage as the room was abruptly left in darkness. Another figure who turned out to be George Harrison soon appeared on stage with an acoustic guitar in hand to perform the amazing While My Guitar Gently Weeps. If I closed my eyes it could easily have been the real George-it sounded just as amazing as the original!

 

The show continued with yet more Beatles classics; back to back. Let's be honest though, what song by The Beatles isn't a classic?! The set included songs such as The Ballad of John and Yoko, Let It Be, Something, Come Together, Get Back and many more! And of course finishing with one of my very favourites; Hey Jude. Hey Jude just wouldn't be Hey Jude without the audience singing along in unison. It's one of those feel good songs that just can’t help but sing along too! And oh my goodness did The Cavern Beatles do it justice!

I am so glad I heard about this show and that Heather and I decided to go see it! We both left absolutely raving about it and really hope that they bring the show back to the Gaiety Theatre very soon! I can guarantee you that we'll both be there! To find out if the Cavern Beatles are coming to an area near you click here for a direct link to their website! Definitely a performance not to miss if you love The Beatles or even just love music in general! I'd completely recommend it!

Shrek the Musical: The Kings Theatre, Glasgow May 2015

I initially hoped to have posted this review a couple of days ago but somehow it's Tuesday already and I haven't quite got round to it-the days really do fly by! Anyway, it's here now and that's all that really matters I suppose. So here it goes.......

A few days ago, Thursday 14th May to be precise my family, my lovely friend Heather, her lovely friend Karen and I went to see Shrek the Musical at The Kings Theatre in Glasgow. Ever since I was little, Shrek has been one of my all-time favourite films. It's one of those films that everyone loves and I'm pretty sure it'll remain a firm favourite for many years to come. In my opinion, Shrek is a modern day classic. 

Shrek the Musical take the audience on a journey through the fairy-tale story we all know and love featuring Shrek the ogre, Donkey, Princess Fiona and of course it just wouldn't be Shrek without the appearances of some other familiar faces such as Pinocchio, Gingy, the three little pigs alongside many others.

The show which first hit the UK's West End back in 2011 features a selection of brand new songs written especially for the musical. The cast also perform I'm A Believer, the classic number from the movie's final scene. To be honest, it wouldn't have been Shrek without I'm A Believer. Literally, as soon the first few notes began to play there were people up on their feet dancing and those who remained seated could not help but sing and clap along. Let's face it; it's too hard not too!

The show was absolutely hilarious and had the entire audience, both adults and children in heaps of laughter from start to finish. Out of the entire cast, Lord Farquaad was by far my favourite character. Gerard Carrey who played Lord Farquaad during the performance, portrayed the character to absolute perfection. He was extremely amusing and his likeness to the character was uncanny! Evidently, he'd watched the movie over and over again studying every tiny detail until he knew the character inside out. I'm pretty sure anyone who has already seen the show will agree that it felt as if Lord Farquaad himself, had actually jumped out of the TV screen and on to the stage right there in front us!

An enormous dragon was even brought out onto the stage on a handful of occasions, which  as you can imagine was pretty spectacular! It's actually a wonder how they even managed to store it backstage alongside the vast amount of props and scenery used throughout the show. Having been on a couple of backstage tours at The Kings Theatre, the storing faculties are pretty limited so I can only begin to imagine just how cramped it must have been back there!

Overall, Shrek the Musical is a feel good family show filled to the brim with catchy songs, great dancing, humour and of course a little bit of fairy-tale magic! I would recommend this show to families with young children in particular, they'll love every second of it! To find out more details on Shrek the Musical's future tour UK tour dates click here.